Korean Air and Shell sign SAF agreement

Korean Air has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with major oil and gas firm Shell to buy their sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The MoU will concentrate on the supply and purchase of SAF from Shell at the main airports in the Asia Pacific region as well as the Middle East for five years starting in 2026.
SAF is non-conventional aviation fuel derived from alternative raw materials such as cooking oil waste, household waste, and industrial waste gas. From production to consumption, sustainably-produced SAF may reduce carbon footprint up to 80% compared to existing fossil-derived aviation fuel.
SAF has surfaced as an important carbon reduction tool in the aviation industry to cope with global climate change, and efforts to boost SAF production and distribution has gained momentum from targeted investment and policy support in the US and the EU.
The airline will work with Shell and continue to expand cooperation with other global oil companies to secure a SAF supply for other regions including Europe and the US.
Korean Air became the first Korean airline to use SAF on a flight departing from Chicago to Incheon in November 2017. Then in February this year, the airline began using SAF on flights from Paris to Incheon.
Last year, the airline partnered with Korea’s leading petroleum and refinery companies, Hyundai Oilbank and SK Energy, to adopt SAF and carbon-neutral jet fuel, respectively.